Rick and I decided to shop for something better than a car...and that would be a house! We've been renting forever and Rick decided he likes his job enough that if we stayed in Arizona a few more years he'd be happy. So we have a loan lady (like my technical terms?) and I've already sat down with our realtor (fancy, eh?) to discuss our options and we now have six houses to go drive by. We have thought about buying other times but this is the first time I'm not scared to death to do something. Let the good times roll!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Move Over Car...There's Something Bigger!
Rick and I decided to shop for something better than a car...and that would be a house! We've been renting forever and Rick decided he likes his job enough that if we stayed in Arizona a few more years he'd be happy. So we have a loan lady (like my technical terms?) and I've already sat down with our realtor (fancy, eh?) to discuss our options and we now have six houses to go drive by. We have thought about buying other times but this is the first time I'm not scared to death to do something. Let the good times roll!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Blogging is the New Crappy Customer Service
Customer service is on the decline. Don't believe me? Just ask my sister Sarah about her latest experience at the Superfresh grocery store...she'll tell ya all sorts of good stuff. What's more disturbing is the total lack of respect I'm discovering in the blog world. Not only do I have to get treated with little respect in the "real" world, but now I'm getting smacked around in the cyber world too. Want examples? You got it.
1. Twice now I've been hit up on my comments page with people either wanting me to vote for them to win a contest or to promote their new website about teaching non-LDS people about our church via second rate cartoons. Seriously? It used to be that I only had to tell 17 year old boys that I wouldn't help them win a trip to tour Europe as they stood at my door trying to sell magazines, now I have to tell they lady trying to win a trip to the east coast to visit a blogger friend she's never met in real life that if she wants me to vote for her, she needs to step it up a bit and at least comment on the story I've told first.
2. I can appreciate people making their blogs private, but man, why do the ones that bring me the most comical enjoyment have to do it without warning. I found a blog one time with the rantings of a crazy lady and her friends were just as nuts and I used to spend Tatiana nap time just bouncing all over the place cracking up at these yahoos. Now I'm stuck with my normal friends...no offense my loves. It's like going back to a store you've spent a lot of money in and they're all the sudden closed with no warning at all...poor customer service to say the least.
I could come up with more, but I'm too busy being annoyed with the two examples I've already come up with. Anyone else want to come up with one?
1. Twice now I've been hit up on my comments page with people either wanting me to vote for them to win a contest or to promote their new website about teaching non-LDS people about our church via second rate cartoons. Seriously? It used to be that I only had to tell 17 year old boys that I wouldn't help them win a trip to tour Europe as they stood at my door trying to sell magazines, now I have to tell they lady trying to win a trip to the east coast to visit a blogger friend she's never met in real life that if she wants me to vote for her, she needs to step it up a bit and at least comment on the story I've told first.
2. I can appreciate people making their blogs private, but man, why do the ones that bring me the most comical enjoyment have to do it without warning. I found a blog one time with the rantings of a crazy lady and her friends were just as nuts and I used to spend Tatiana nap time just bouncing all over the place cracking up at these yahoos. Now I'm stuck with my normal friends...no offense my loves. It's like going back to a store you've spent a lot of money in and they're all the sudden closed with no warning at all...poor customer service to say the least.
I could come up with more, but I'm too busy being annoyed with the two examples I've already come up with. Anyone else want to come up with one?
Friday, March 27, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Pinewood Derby!
Well, Aren might never get anything more than a participation certificate in sports, but tonight he brought home the big prize...first place in Pack 436 Pinewood Derby...way to go big guy! 
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Rites of Passage
I remember being a young one and looking up to my brothers and sister and thinking they were so cool that they could do things I couldn't. Don was seven years older than me and he could ride his skateboard where ever he wanted, pushing off with his one foot and gliding down the big hills. Me? I could only sit on the thing and zoom down the driveway while hoping a car wasn't coming any time soon. Katharine was allowed to have her BFF come over and rock it out to the latest Lionel Richie LP with the door shut. Ben, well, Ben pretty much did whatever he wanted with Mike including climbing all the way to the top of the ginormous pine tree in our side yard.
In addition to all these cool things I was always jealous of the things they got to do at school, one of them being telling time. I always thought it was so neat that they could look at a circle with symbols and could read the complex lines that pointed to those mysterious numbers and it meant something. This is something that Aren mastered last year. It was almost liberating for him to not have to ask us for the time anymore...he could watch that clock and know how much longer it was until snack time. Over the past few weeks he's been adding to his time telling repertoire by thrwoing things in such as "half past" and "quarter to".
This morning as the sun was barely creeping up over the horizon Rick and I were woken up by Aren getting Tania out of her mini jail cell. They both ran in to our room and instead of being greeted with a lovely "Good morning!", all he got was, "Aren, what the freak! Do you realize what time it is?" He ran to find a clock and came back to report..."Three minutes to half past six." It took Rick and I minute to discern his new trick and to eventually chuckle.
So there you have it - Aren's latest rite of passage. And in case anyone wants to join us, I'm heading over to the park at twenty minutes to half past the time I ate breakfast at a quarter to when I do laundry.
In addition to all these cool things I was always jealous of the things they got to do at school, one of them being telling time. I always thought it was so neat that they could look at a circle with symbols and could read the complex lines that pointed to those mysterious numbers and it meant something. This is something that Aren mastered last year. It was almost liberating for him to not have to ask us for the time anymore...he could watch that clock and know how much longer it was until snack time. Over the past few weeks he's been adding to his time telling repertoire by thrwoing things in such as "half past" and "quarter to".
This morning as the sun was barely creeping up over the horizon Rick and I were woken up by Aren getting Tania out of her mini jail cell. They both ran in to our room and instead of being greeted with a lovely "Good morning!", all he got was, "Aren, what the freak! Do you realize what time it is?" He ran to find a clock and came back to report..."Three minutes to half past six." It took Rick and I minute to discern his new trick and to eventually chuckle.
So there you have it - Aren's latest rite of passage. And in case anyone wants to join us, I'm heading over to the park at twenty minutes to half past the time I ate breakfast at a quarter to when I do laundry.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Aren the Builder
I decided to shy away from preaching and/or bitching on this post and just be a regular mormon mommy blogger and post about our fun morning. We packed up the kids and headed over to Lowes where ever other week they have a mini class for kids where they get a little project to build. It's free and you even get a little apron and goggles to protect you in case of random flying nails and hammers...what could be better?! Check out if these classes are offered in your area HERE. Rick and Aren had fun putting together a tabletop basketball hoop thingy and Tatiana was in pure heaven being able to wonder around Lowes wherever she wanted...she must take after Rick. Anyways, here are a few shots from the morning, complete with my clearance bamboo chime thingy find for only six bucks.
Getting started and not very happy about the photo op apparently.
Getting started and not very happy about the photo op apparently.
Wondering Tatiana
Half way there!
And we're done!
Welcome!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Fake It 'Til You Make It
Growing up I heard this term a lot. I was told that if I didn't like a situation to just go with it and eventually I would learn to do it with a willing heart.
What a load of crap.
Why do LDS people, especially women, have such a hard time expressing the fact that sometimes things just plain suck? Why do we feel compelled in a horrible situation to say, "Oh, it's ok that my husband is in Iraq and could be killed at any moment. I feel good about it" or "My child died but it's ok because I'll see them again." Really? You can't tell me that's how you really feel. Are your emotions so shallow?
I am here to tell you that it's ok to stop faking it. Hate your life! Get pissed off that your husband keeps getting deployed, be mad at Heavenly Father for taking your child, your spouse, your parent. IT'S OK!!! Freaking show some emotion other than the "it'll be ok" emotion.
I gave up faking it a long time ago...right around the time I ended up on insanely large amounts of antidepressants. Consequently it was about the same time that Aren was asked as a five year old boy in Primary, "How does your mom show you she loves you?" To which Aren responded, "I know my mom loves me because she gives me Prozac every morning." Nice. And yes, it's true. Aren has been on antidepressants since he was three years old. He doesn't like faking it either.
Of course there are times when I'm really good at keeping my emotions in check, like every afternoon when kids come home from school and my house ends up being the place to hang out. I'm not that fond of children, but I can become that way if it means I have control of what other eight and nine year olds are doing.
I guess my point is that I can't imagine that my life is the only one that sucks as much as it does, but by talking to people, reading blogs, and whatever else, it kind of appears that way. I'm not asking you to air your dirty laundry, just remember that there's a reason there is to be an opposite in all things. You can believe that Heavenly Father will take care of you and still be annoyed as all get out that something has happened to you. There doesn't always have to be some kind of lesson that has to be learned. Sometimes life just sucks. Simple as that.
What a load of crap.
Why do LDS people, especially women, have such a hard time expressing the fact that sometimes things just plain suck? Why do we feel compelled in a horrible situation to say, "Oh, it's ok that my husband is in Iraq and could be killed at any moment. I feel good about it" or "My child died but it's ok because I'll see them again." Really? You can't tell me that's how you really feel. Are your emotions so shallow?
I am here to tell you that it's ok to stop faking it. Hate your life! Get pissed off that your husband keeps getting deployed, be mad at Heavenly Father for taking your child, your spouse, your parent. IT'S OK!!! Freaking show some emotion other than the "it'll be ok" emotion.
I gave up faking it a long time ago...right around the time I ended up on insanely large amounts of antidepressants. Consequently it was about the same time that Aren was asked as a five year old boy in Primary, "How does your mom show you she loves you?" To which Aren responded, "I know my mom loves me because she gives me Prozac every morning." Nice. And yes, it's true. Aren has been on antidepressants since he was three years old. He doesn't like faking it either.
Of course there are times when I'm really good at keeping my emotions in check, like every afternoon when kids come home from school and my house ends up being the place to hang out. I'm not that fond of children, but I can become that way if it means I have control of what other eight and nine year olds are doing.
I guess my point is that I can't imagine that my life is the only one that sucks as much as it does, but by talking to people, reading blogs, and whatever else, it kind of appears that way. I'm not asking you to air your dirty laundry, just remember that there's a reason there is to be an opposite in all things. You can believe that Heavenly Father will take care of you and still be annoyed as all get out that something has happened to you. There doesn't always have to be some kind of lesson that has to be learned. Sometimes life just sucks. Simple as that.
Monday, March 9, 2009
And The Winners Are...
Sears
Elizabeth
Kami
Emilie
Kristen
All you need to do is e-mail me at delycho at hotmail dot com to claim your blankets! I know some of you said you didn't want one, Sears I'm talking to you, but I promise I'll make you the biggest bestest afghan in the world if you just e-mail me your address. Don't forget to let me know what colors you want! Congratulations!!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Deserve
I woke up in the middle of the night last night and my mind started racing. I can never be too sure where my racing mind will lead me but last night wasn't anything dramatic, just something to think about.
Rick and I are finally almost out of debt, well credit card debt. It's no secret that when we moved to AZ five years ago we were over $50,000, yes that number is correct, in credit card debt. It was mostly because of medical expenses for the kids, but some of it was just dumbness on our part as well. With a whole lot of penny pinching and living in small apartments for five years we are just six weeks away from making our last payment and we are very happy. People have asked how we will celebrate and have used the word "deserve" alot, as in, "You guys deserve a vacation!" I thought about other times Rick and I deserved things, like when we did Make-A-Wish, or when Rick got his new job down here. I started thinking do we really "deserve" these things, and if we "deserve" the good stuff, did we "deserve" the bad stuff too?
After Lily died and we were waiting for a donor for Aren's transplant, I had someone ask, "What did your family ever do to deserve this?" I didn't know. Rick and I grew up LDS, graduated from seminary, I went to Ricks College and Rick went to the University of Utah (maybe that's where we went wrong), we both served missions, married in the temple, even had a child before our first anniversary, so really. What did we do to deserve this? If we deserve the good at the end of the bad, do we also derserve the bad in the middle of the good?
I continued thinking that maybe there just isn't a good enough word in the English language for someone who has been through a lot and finally has time to relax when all is said and done. Just like I've learned that there are words that just don't translate from Bulgarian to English, maybe there isn't a word that translates from English to English.
Maybe Rick and I don't "deserve" to celebrate the paying off of some people's annual salary. Maybe we just get to be happy that we did it on our own without declaring bankruptcy while having another child and only having one car and borrowing money from family to take a trip out east because we didn't have a credit card and...anyone know a word for that?
...only a few more hours to ENTER MY GIVEAWAY...
Rick and I are finally almost out of debt, well credit card debt. It's no secret that when we moved to AZ five years ago we were over $50,000, yes that number is correct, in credit card debt. It was mostly because of medical expenses for the kids, but some of it was just dumbness on our part as well. With a whole lot of penny pinching and living in small apartments for five years we are just six weeks away from making our last payment and we are very happy. People have asked how we will celebrate and have used the word "deserve" alot, as in, "You guys deserve a vacation!" I thought about other times Rick and I deserved things, like when we did Make-A-Wish, or when Rick got his new job down here. I started thinking do we really "deserve" these things, and if we "deserve" the good stuff, did we "deserve" the bad stuff too?
After Lily died and we were waiting for a donor for Aren's transplant, I had someone ask, "What did your family ever do to deserve this?" I didn't know. Rick and I grew up LDS, graduated from seminary, I went to Ricks College and Rick went to the University of Utah (maybe that's where we went wrong), we both served missions, married in the temple, even had a child before our first anniversary, so really. What did we do to deserve this? If we deserve the good at the end of the bad, do we also derserve the bad in the middle of the good?
I continued thinking that maybe there just isn't a good enough word in the English language for someone who has been through a lot and finally has time to relax when all is said and done. Just like I've learned that there are words that just don't translate from Bulgarian to English, maybe there isn't a word that translates from English to English.
Maybe Rick and I don't "deserve" to celebrate the paying off of some people's annual salary. Maybe we just get to be happy that we did it on our own without declaring bankruptcy while having another child and only having one car and borrowing money from family to take a trip out east because we didn't have a credit card and...anyone know a word for that?
...only a few more hours to ENTER MY GIVEAWAY...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Eat Ice Cream For Breakfast!
Yeah, you heard me! This Saturday I'm asking everyone to eat ice cream for breakfast. After years of multiple hospital stays, the death of a sister, and finally a life saving bone marrow transplant, Aren was able to have a wish granted by Make-A-Wish. His wish was to go to Disney World and we stayed at an amazing place called Give Kids the World which was an all inclusive "resort" specifically for families from wish granting organizations. March 7th is founders day and four years ago they started a tradition where all children were encouraged to eat ice cream for breakfast...hence the ice cream parlor is open from 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. every day. I am proud to say that Rick, Aren, and I did our part to live the dream and we ate an ice cream sundae every morning for a week.
So, come on people! Join me this Saturday morning and have some ice cream for breakfast. Remember the children who have been recipients of the amazing service of organizations like Make-A-Wish and GKTW. Come on...it's for the children.!***Don't forget the giveaway! Just scroll down!***
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Giveaway!
I never win anything...it's in my blood. Seriously, I don't...except for yesterday when I won the COOLEST PRIZE EVER from my honeymoon companion in Bulgaria, Emilie! She is an amazing photographer and you can check out her work HERE. Seriously all you Utah ladies, use her for your next family picture, rock show, or wedding. She's the best.
As part of my winnings, I agreed to have a little giveaway of my own. I finally settled on crocheted baby blankets made by me! So leave a comment and Tatiana and Aren will pick five people at random to win a crocheted baby blanket made by me and colors picked by you. Remember if you win you agree to have a little giveaway of your own. You have until Sunday, March 8th at midnight to leave a comment...good luck!
As part of my winnings, I agreed to have a little giveaway of my own. I finally settled on crocheted baby blankets made by me! So leave a comment and Tatiana and Aren will pick five people at random to win a crocheted baby blanket made by me and colors picked by you. Remember if you win you agree to have a little giveaway of your own. You have until Sunday, March 8th at midnight to leave a comment...good luck!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Death 101
Church was interesting today. I'm the nursery leader and I like being tucked away with my cranky kids, goldfish, and Diet Coke hidden in a dark colored water bottle. It makes me feel safe. Today however I was asked to come into Relief Society for a few minutes and help with a lesson on service. My part? To compare two very different experiences I've had - one where the RS stepped up to the plate and served me well, and the other when the ball was dropped pretty hard. The person who asked specifically had in mind the time when my daughter Lily died and my feelings of abandonment. I was surprised how many people found me in the nursery room later to apologize and/or thank me for the information I had given them. So, I thought maybe I should pass it on to you. So here is a list of death do's and don'ts, written from a perspective of what I wish I would have said four years ago.
1. Don't tell me that I must have a greater appreciation of the Plan of Salvation and please for the love, don't tell me how comforting it must be to know my dead daughter is in a better place. There was nothing wrong with where she was...right next me.
2. Don't ignore me. I would rather you come up to me and give me a hug and tell me you have nothing to say than to watch you stare at me through the corner of my eye and make me feel like a bigger freak.
3. Please be careful when sharing faith promoting experiences. It hurts to hear that your cousin's child was in the hospital and the priesthood came and now everything is better. Don't you think I prayed? Don't you think I had the priesthood administer to my child? My knowledge and faith are on the rocks, no matter how strong I look or tell you I am.
4. When you talk to me, please be ready for me to either be very closed off or very ready to tell you everything. Please don't judge me. My feelings are raw and they are my feelings.
5. Deep inside I have a testimony and as much as it might make you feel better to bear your testimony to me that I will see my daughter again, chances are great that I don't want to hear it. The only thing I want is to see my daughter now.
6. Ice cream is always a good option. Especially if it comes with a friend who is willing to take you away from your house, pay for it, laugh with you and cry with you.
There you have it. Please remember that when the casseroles have run out, there are still plenty of opportunities to serve because service comes in many forms. Promise.
1. Don't tell me that I must have a greater appreciation of the Plan of Salvation and please for the love, don't tell me how comforting it must be to know my dead daughter is in a better place. There was nothing wrong with where she was...right next me.
2. Don't ignore me. I would rather you come up to me and give me a hug and tell me you have nothing to say than to watch you stare at me through the corner of my eye and make me feel like a bigger freak.
3. Please be careful when sharing faith promoting experiences. It hurts to hear that your cousin's child was in the hospital and the priesthood came and now everything is better. Don't you think I prayed? Don't you think I had the priesthood administer to my child? My knowledge and faith are on the rocks, no matter how strong I look or tell you I am.
4. When you talk to me, please be ready for me to either be very closed off or very ready to tell you everything. Please don't judge me. My feelings are raw and they are my feelings.
5. Deep inside I have a testimony and as much as it might make you feel better to bear your testimony to me that I will see my daughter again, chances are great that I don't want to hear it. The only thing I want is to see my daughter now.
6. Ice cream is always a good option. Especially if it comes with a friend who is willing to take you away from your house, pay for it, laugh with you and cry with you.
There you have it. Please remember that when the casseroles have run out, there are still plenty of opportunities to serve because service comes in many forms. Promise.
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